Trolleybuses in Sofia

The Sofia trolleybus system () forms part of the public transport network of Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. Trolleybuses first began serving Sofia on 8 February 1941, on a route to the suburb of Gorna Banya, but that initial system closed on 9 September 1944. The current system opened only four years later, on 1 May 1948.

The system presently comprises ten routes with network build, of which are currently in use.

As of 2020, the average speed of the trolleybus system in Sofia is 15.7 km/h.

History Trolleybus transport was the last form of surface public transport to develop in Sofia, after buses and trams. The first Sofia trolleybus line opened on 8 February 1941, in what was then the Kingdom of Bulgaria. It was more than long, and connected the city with the Gorna Banya quarter. The line was covered by 2 MAN trolleybuses, which were stored on the last stops during the night, due to the lack of depot. It closed on 9 September 1944.

The city's second trolleybus system, the first part of the current system, opened on 1 May 1948, by which time the country had become the People's Republic of Bulgaria. In the 1950s and 1960s, massive development of the trolleybus transport in Sofia began. At that time, the construction of new trolleybus routes proceeded especially rapidly, and two depots ("Stochna Gara" and "Nadezhda") were opened, with a total capacity of 160 trolleybuses. In 1951, the first Bulgarian made trolleybuses entered service.

In 1987, a new depot, "Iskar", was opened with a capacity of 130 trolleybuses. Levski depot was opened in 1994 with capacity of 60 trolleybuses. As of 2021 three depots are in operation: Nadezhda, Iskar and Levski. The latter also serves as a storage and overhaul facility.

Lines As of October 2025, the following trolleybus lines in Sofia are in service: LineRouteDepot1Levski G Residential District – Fifth City HospitalLevski2Hadzhi Dimitar Residential District – Buxton Residential DistrictIskar3Levski G Residential District – St. Anna HospitalIskar4Druzhba 2 Residential District – Hadzhi Dimitar Residential DistrictIskar5St. Anna Hospital – Nadezhda OverpassIskar 6Lyulin 3 Residential District – Lozenets DistrictNadezhda7Lyulin 3 Residential District – Gotse Delchev Residential DistrictNadezhda8Stochna gara Square – Gotse Delchev Residential DistrictIskar9Borovo Residential District – Stochna gara SquareNadezhda11Druzhba 1 Residential District – Stochna gara SquareIskar

Fleet Current fleet As of January 2026, the Sofia trolleybus fleet consisted of 139 trolleybuses, of which around 115 are operational.

The following models are currently part of the fleet:

Quantity In service Model Year built Fleet numbers Notes 50 50 Škoda 27Tr Solaris III 2013–2014 1650–1674, 2675–2699 Equipped with auxiliary diesel engine 30 30 Škoda 27Tr Solaris IV 2020–2021 2801–2830 Equipped with 30 kWh LTO battery 30 30 Škoda 26Tr Solaris III 2010 1603–1632 Equipped with auxiliary diesel engine 15 5 Ikarus 280.92 1985–1988 2054, 2115, 2117, 2123, 2614, 2623, 2702, 2703, 2711, 2712, 2715, 2723, 2913, 2915, 2922 Ganz electrical equipment. Total of 151 units delivered. Operational units shown in bold. 2623 is heritage vehicle and 2702 is driving school vehicle. 10 0 Ikarus 280.92F 2104–2109, 2608–2609, 2902–2903 Facelift, modernized 2008–2015 3 0 Cobra GD 272 2003–2005 2002–2004 Güleryüz bodywork, ICPE SAERP (Romania) electrical equipment, assembled by Tramkar 1 0 Gräf & Stift GЕ 152 M18 1988 1801 (ex-1806) The last remaining unit of eight vehicles acquired secondhand from the Innsbruck trolleybus system in 2006,Trolleybus Magazine No. 273 (May–June 2007), p. 62. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . which were numbered 1801–1808 in Sofia (and had been nos. 807, 801, 815, 814, 805, 816, 802, and 810 in Innsbruck).Trolleybus Magazine No. 277 (January–February 2008), p. 15. National Trolleybus Association (UK).

Heritage fleet The heritage fleet consists of the following vehicles: Model Fleet number Year built Status Notes Škoda 9TrHT28 5027 1981 Not operational Ex-Plovdiv. In private ownership. Škoda 14Tr06 1002 1985 Not operational Ex-Stara Zagora, née Sofia DAC-Chavdar 317 Etr 118 1986 Not operational Ex-Pernik. In private ownership. ZiU-682 1028 1987 Operational Ex-Stara Zagora Ikarus 280.92 2623 1988 Operational

Past fleet

Quantity Model Years in service Notes 2 MAN MPE I 1941–1956 Schumann body, BBC electrical equipment 26 MTB-82 1948–1960s 67 TB-51 1951–1971 Bulgarian-made version of the Soviet MTB-82 244 Skoda 9Tr 1964–1990 12 MAN/Kässbohrer/Kiepe 610 FEC 1 1967–1974 ex-Dortmund, built in 1958 3 Ikarus 280T 1980–1984 Rebuilt from diesel buses with Skoda 9Tr electrical equipment 19 Gräf & Stift GEO I, GEO II, GE 120 1984–1987 Nos. 201–219, ex-Linz (where they were numbered in the range 51–77),Trolleybus Magazine No. 140 (March–April 1985), p. 40. National Trolleybus Association (UK). . which were built between 1960 and 1968 20 Skoda 14Tr06 1985–1987 Transferred to other Bulgarian towns 70 ZiU-682 1986–2004 23 DAC-Chavdar 317 Etr 1987–1994 1 Tramkar-Chavdar 130 1994–2010 Prototype 8 Gräf & Stift GE152 M18 2006–2018 ex-Innsbruck, built in 1988

Depots Nadezhda - opened in 1962, located on podpolkovnik Kalitin street, operates lines 6, 7 and 9; houses trolleybuses with fleet numbers 2xxx Iskar - opened in 1987, located on Amsterdam street, operates lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 11; houses trolleybuses with fleet numbers 1xxx Levski - opened in 1994, located on Bessarabia street, serves as maintenance and overhaul facility and for storage and dismantling of decommissioned vehicles. Since November 2021 also operates line 1. Fleet numbering common with Nadezhda depot.

Trolleybuses in Sofia

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